Countdown to Midnight
by RoyxRizaFan
Summary: Al is lonely spending the long nights alone. On three special occasions, though, he has Mei to keep him company! AlxMei
1. Happy Birthday!

Alphonse Elric turned to the clock, counting down the last seconds before the day ended. Staying up late every night was tiring, but it was on these special occasions that he was happy he was able to stay up late. It was only a matter of minutes before it was his birthday.

Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…five…four…three…two…_one!_

Nothing changed. The clock continued to tick on, and he continued to sit alone in the middle of the hall. It was just as dark in their hotel room, and he himself didn't feel any different.

Another year had gone by, and he was still sitting there in his suit of armor, without a body of his own. He pulled his legs tighter to his chest with a clang, wishing for the morning. Hopefully someone would have remembered his birthday.

--

Bored. That was the only word to describe Mei Chang at that very moment. She lay in her makeshift bed, an unnecessary cold cloth rested on her head. When was Dr. Knox going to let her go? She didn't want to hang around here any longer. She wanted to go find the Philosopher's Stone, not stare at the cobwebs on his ceiling all day long.

The house was completely silent, and darkness filled every hall. Maybe everyone was asleep. They wouldn't notice if she left. Mei pulled back her covers slowly, slipping out of the bed and into her slippers. Picking up her pet panda, Xiao Mei, she tiptoed down the hall and out of the house.

The cool air hit her in a rush. She resisted a sneeze, unwilling to alert anyone to her presence. It was still very early in the morning, and the sun hadn't begun rising yet. She searched the empty streets, having no idea where to go. That's when she remembered Alphonse, the suit of armor she had recently met. He never went to sleep. She could go talk to him. He seemed nice enough, and _handsome _enough, too!

"It's a plan! We'll go visit Alphonse!" Mei whispered to her panda. "It'll kill time before we think of our next step in finding the Philosopher's Stone!"

She scurried down the streets to the hotel Alphonse and his brother, Edward, were staying at. She stared at it blankly, not knowing what to do next.

Xiao Mei tore away from her arms, scurrying over to one of the windows. Mei frantically chased after her.

"Come back here!" she hissed, not wanting to sound too loud. She knelt down below the window, picking up her small pet. "What's wrong? Did you see a snake or something?" As she asked these questions, her eyes flickered up to the window. Surprisingly, voices were coming out from it.

"Happy birthday, Al!" Edward's voice came.

"Older brother, why are you up so early?" Al demanded. "You need your rest!"

"I figured you'd want a little company on your birthday."

Mei gasped. It was his birthday! She couldn't visit him, not having known this fact a moment ago. Holding Xiao Mei in her arms, she leapt up and ran down the street as fast as she could.

Once she was back on the sidewalk, she stopped to catch her breath. The panda slipped out of her arms, falling onto the ground next to her. It pulled on the end of her skirt with its teeth, trying to get her attention.

"That was a close call," Mei commented. "What if he had seen us spying on him? Even worse, what if I had gone in there, not knowing it was his birthday?" She felt her cheeks flushing pink. "I guess I won't be able to visit him today." Xiao Mei looked up at her, hissing a bit. Mei watched her curiously, trying to understand what she was saying. "Are you trying to tell me that I should go visit him anyway?" Mei wondered aloud. "I can't do that! Not unless…" Her voice trailed off and an excited grin spread across her face. "I've got it!"

--

"It's too bad you can't eat," Edward commented as he took a seat next to Alphonse, "otherwise I'd go out and buy you a huge birthday cake." He laughed briskly, frowning a bit. "I can't believe it. We've been so busy lately that I didn't even spare a moment to buy you a birthday present."

Alphonse shook his head. "Don't worry about it, brother. I don't need a present. The less luggage we have to carry around the better, right?" If he could have, he would have tried to smile at Edward. The most he could manage was to pat his brother on the back reassuringly.

Edward opened his mouth to respond, but all that came out was a long, drawn out yawn.

"Go back to bed, brother," Alphonse advised him. "You've already wished me a happy birthday. Rest up a bit more."

Edward nodded and dragged himself back to his bedroom, leaving Alphonse alone once again. He turned his gaze back to the clock, sighing.

"Some birthday this is going to be," he muttered to himself. "I can't eat cake, I don't get a party, and I have practically no one to celebrate with!" He wasn't trying to be greedy – he knew that times were hard and there was no time to celebrate. He missed his old birthdays, though. The ones where his mother would bake him a cake, blow him up balloons, and sing to him, with Edward, Winry, and Pinako all crowded around him. That was something he'd probably never have again.

He was snapped out of his daydream by a light tapping on the window. He looked up with a jolt to see Mei Chang standing outside, grinning shyly, a small box in her hand. Confused, Alphonse rushed over to open the window.

"What are you doing out so early?" he asked. "You'll catch a cold!"

She held out the box, smiling meekly. "I wanted to wish you a happy birthday!"

Alphonse cocked his head, confused. He was about to ask her how she knew about his birthday, but thought better of it. "Thanks, Mei. You really didn't have to-"

She held out the box to him. "Sorry I couldn't wrap it." In her hands was a small puzzle. "I figured this would come in handy, since you can never sleep. It'll keep you busy for a few nights at least."

"Wow, thanks!" He accepted the puzzle, wishing he could smile even more than before. "That's a great idea for a gift!"

"Really?" she asked. "It's not stupid?"

He shook his head. "No! Of course not! It'll come in handy. It can get boring sometimes, not being able to sleep."

"Believe me, I know," she agreed.

There was a moment of silence before Alphonse reached out and pushed the window open even further. "Come on, why don't you come inside for a bit? I'm sure it's really cold out there!"

"You sure?"

"Yeah, come on in!"

Mei grinned eagerly, lifting Xiao Mei and passing her to Alphonse as she crawled into the window.

As Alphonse helped Mei come in, he began to think that maybe this birthday wouldn't be so boring after all.


	2. Happy New Years!

"This is going to be so much fun!" Winry Rockbell squealed, spinning around to display her new kimono. "I'm so glad you two finally agreed to come with me!"

"As if we actually have _time _for this," Edward grumbled.

"Come on! Everyone has time off for the New Year's Festival!" she sang happily. "We're going to have so much fun playing games, dancing, and pigging out!"

"Who said anything about _dancing_?" Edward snapped, becoming less and less patient each second.

Alphonse patted him on the shoulder. "Calm down, brother. You don't _have _to dance. There are plenty of other things to do, too!"

Edward crossed his arms, sticking out his lower lip in an irritated pout. "Fine. I'm coming, at least. That should be enough."

Winry sighed, looking back and forth between the brothers, seeming disappointed. "You two are no fun."

"Good."

She rolled her eyes, leading them out of their hotel room. "Come on. Let's get going before we miss the train."

Edward followed her immediately, but Alphonse hung back a moment, lost in thought.

"Coming, Al?" Edward called from the doorway.

"W-well…I was just wondering…" He looked and forth between the two uncertainly, not knowing if he should continue or not. "Well, who else is coming?"

"Pretty much everyone from Resembool," Winry answered. "Why?"

He twiddled his thumbs shyly, refusing to look at them. "Can we invite one other person? A friend of mine? Could we pick her up on the way there?"

" '_Her_'?" Winry cried, clapping her hands together ecstatically. "You want to bring a _date _to the festival?"

Alphonse looked up with a jolt, waving his hands in front of himself. "No! No, that's not it! She's just a friend!"

Edward raised an eyebrow. "Who is it? Wouldn't I know her?"

"You do," he continued, even more hesitant than before. "Her name is Mei Chang."

"That crazy little girl who works with Scar?" he hissed. "No way in _hell _are we bringing her!"

Winry slapped Edward over the back of the head with a paper fan. "If Al wants to bring her, we'll bring her! It's none of _your _business!" She turned away from him to smile at Alphonse. "Of course we can invite her. Let's go get her right now."

Edward groaned.

--

Mei sat outside the small tent, poking at the fire with a twig. Usually she celebrated New Years with her family, but this year it was just her and Xiao Mei. She stared into the fire, remembering past New Years with a sad, lonely smile.

"December thirty first," her strange companion Yoki muttered to himself. "Oh, so many better New Years I've spent before this one…. I remember back when I owned the mining town, the great celebrations I was able to throw." He threw his head back, wailing, "What has become of my life? My career? Have I no future? What kind of New Years is this, hiding out with a lost child and a mass murderer?"

"Be quiet!" a gruff voice called from the tent. Mei groaned – her two friends, Yoki and Scar, weren't going to be good company tonight.

Around the corner, low, muttering voices could be heard. Long shadows drifted down onto their street, and she leapt up with a jolt. It couldn't be the homunculi! Not on a night like this!

She dashed around the corner as fast as she could, Xiao Mei at her heels. She took out her spears, holding them in her hands as she turned to see…

Alphonse Elric and his friends?

"Alphonse?" she asked, looking up at him with shock.

He seemed a little nervous. "Sorry to bother you…around _these _parts…we were just wondering-"

"_He _was wondering," Edward corrected irritably.

Alphonse nodded. "_I _was wondering if you'd like to come to the New Year's festival with me – er, _us_."

"A _festival_?" she repeated, excitement rising in her voice.

He nodded. "Would you like to come?"

She peeked around the corner, calling quickly to Yoki, "I'm going with my friend to a festival!"

"What was that?" both Scar and Yoki's came. She didn't hear them – she, Winry, and the brothers were already running from the dark alley, Xiao Mei struggling to catch up as she followed closely behind.

--

"Is she having fun?" Alphonse whispered to Winry after another shooting game, "or is this boring? Should I have not invited her?"

"She and the panda are having blast," Winry assured him as she took another bite out of her cotton candy. "You haven't said boo to her all night, though. Weren't you the one who invited her?"

Alphonse looked at his feet uncomfortably. "I don't know her too well yet. I feel a little uncertain on how to strike up a conversation with her."

Winry smiled to herself. "You're so shy, Al. You'll never get to know her if you don't at least try talking to her. She's your friend, right? Challenge her to a shooting game or something. I'm sure it'll be fun. You do that and I'll go make sure your brother is keeping out of trouble." She winked at him and vanished into the crowd.

Alphonse turned around, scanning the crowd until he spotted Mei standing by the turtle game. She wasn't playing; she was just watching the small turtles swim around. She looked up at the sound of Alphonse's clanging armor.

"Aren't they adorable?" she asked, pointing to them.

Alphonse leaned down, taking a closer look at the tiny turtles. "Yeah, they are," he agreed, feeling his usual affection towards small animals. "I wish I could have a pet, but my brother and I are on the move all the time, so it's impossible. He doesn't get along well with animals anyway."

"I don't know what I'd do without Xiao Mei," she commented, pointing to the panda that was resting on her shoulder. "She's my best friend." She looked up at Alphonse, grinning. "She seems to like you, too!"

"Really?" he asked excitedly, reaching down to pet the panda. It immediately gripped its claws around his finger.

"Well, at least she knows she can't hurt you," Mei muttered, the enthusiasm dying off a bit.

Alphonse looked up past her to the small clearing where all the dancing was going on. It was times like these that he wished he had a real body.

She followed his gaze, smiling. "Look, it's your brother and the blonde girl. They're dancing together!" She laughed before looking back up at him. "Can you dance, Alphonse?"

He shook his head. "I wish I could. Everyone over there looks like they're having so much fun." He turned away, his head hanging a bit.

Mei was silent for a moment, watching the dancers swaying back and forth, laughing. She looked back up at Alphonse, a shy smile spreading across her reddening cheeks. "When you get your body back, will you dance with me? Just once?"

Alphonse snapped back into focus, his gaze returning to her. Taking a moment to make sure he had heard her right, he nodded excitedly. "Sure. It's a promise." He paused for another moment before adding, "I can't promise it'll be good, though. I haven't been able to practice for years now."

Mei turned back to the dancers, smiling. "I'm sure it'll be good."

If he had had his real body, he was sure he would be blushing right now.

Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…five…four…three…two…_one_!

As Alphonse watched the fireworks sour into the sky, Mei at his side, he felt a sudden sense of warmth shoot through him, although he shouldn't be able to feel anything. It was nice to be able to spend the night with someone other than his shadow.


End file.
